"Mr. President, WHY did you declassify that information?"

[Vickers]

That is what every reporter needs to ask him every time he comes out of his Jim Beam hidey-hole.

Look, they will do some kind of legal chicanery to get around the obvious illegalities of their actions, but they will never, EVER have a good reason for outing a covert CIA agent.

Focusing on whether he had the authority to declassify is a no-win situation.

Emphasize his petty actions that probably caused Americans to get killed.

[philosophie_en_rose]

"Mr. President, why DIDN'T you declassify the information?"

Instead of using classified information in a campaign to threaten the life of a CIA agent?

Why were you too lazy to declassify the information outright, instead sneaking around?

[pacalo]

7. Exactly. Why did Libby ask Judy Miller to describe him as a

former White House aide if they thought it was okay? (Heard that on "Hardball" last night.)

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. Why did Judith Miller go to jail

if everything was okay?

Why wasn't Bush man enough then to just say he declassified that info 2 years ago?

[Atman]

1. Where is Helen Thomas!

She probably doesn't get any more invites to the press room!

[Dhalgren]

2. Focusing on his authority to declassify is a no-win for the

Republicans, as well. I say let them keep saying this - it only brings up the question, "Why?". And you are right - that is the question we should keep asking over and over. Why did you declassify these documents? Why did you subsequently lie about it to Federal prosecutors? Why did you lie to the American people that you knew nothing about "leaks"? If he gets away with this, then who can deny we live under a dictatorship?

[grytpype]

3. Vickers, you are 100% correct.

If it wasn't to help discredit Wilson, then what WAS the reason?

Were other administration officials involved in the declassification?

Was it discussed at any meeting?

Was the declassification in writing or oral? Who was it delivered to?

Who first raised the issue of declassifying part of the NIE?

The press needs to start demanding answers.

[FARAFIELD]

4. actually there is no claim that they DID

NO WHERE has it been suggested that it was declassified THEN LEAKED, so i dont know why no one is picking up on that. They leaked classified info, period. UNLESS the claim is that with the simple ACT OF saying to leak it is a DEFACTO declassification but no scholar has said that is in the Exec Order that that is the case

[wtmusic]

6. Is there not a process

that must be followed in declassification? :shrug:

[kenny blankenship]

5. And then apparently forget that you had?

Everything he's said since then indicates that there was no change in the status of the information that was leaked. If it had been declassified immediately previous to the leak, why would the President allow the investigation to go forward without making a clear statement to that effect? Why wouldn't he tell Fitzgerald in his interview (unsworn as it was) that there was no smoke to investigate because there was no fire?

[neoblues]

8. Mr. President, will you now admit your immoral act?

For clearly you could have no valid reason for declassifying that information other than personal political motives... (and even those, in this case, were of the most offensive nature--seeking to destroy an honest American in your efforts to deceive all Americans into supporting your intention to prosecute an illegal indefensible WAR).

[C_U_L8R]

9. What PROOF is there that he declassified ANYTHING ?

just askin' ?

[Vickers]

12. That's the whole purpose of me asking WHY. Don't let them frame

it as "harumph harumph he has the authority" etc. etc.

Turn the tables.

Don't even QUESTION that he has the authority.

Question his MOTIVES.

People will understand the "sin" of revenge as easily as they understood a blowjob.

[tsuki]

11. NOT AN AGENT. AN ENTIRE NETWORK, BREWSTER-JENNINGS.